Global technology firm Siemens has announced that it has been awarded the contract to supply wind turbines for what it says would be the world’s largest floating wind farm.
The contract to supply turbines for the the world’s largest floating wind farm- Hywind wind farm was awarded by a Norwegian company Statoil to provide 5 of its SWT-6.0-154 direct drive offshore wind turbines. The project is expected to be completed within the first half of 2017.
The offshore floating wind project will be developed 2KM off the coast of Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and on completion the project will be the world’s largest floating wind farm.
The project will be constructed on floating foundations between 90 to 120 meters water depths.
According to Siemens Head of Technology Wind power and Renewables Division, Morten Rasmussen, the Hywind project awarded by Statoil is not the first to execute rather the second, after successfully completed the first full scale floating turbine awarded by yet the same company, Statoil.
He further described the project as a pioneering project that has the potential to become a trailblazer for future floating wind projects.
The project targets the floating offshore wind parks and aims to deliver both cost efficient and low risk wind power farm, that’s why Siemens’ SWT-6.0-154 direct drive offshore wind turbine has been chosen suitable for the project due to its lightweight nacelles, which with no doubt are perfectly suited for the offshore floating wind applications.
Statoil made the final investment decision to build the project and the decision has been approved by the Scottish Government early last month.
According to Statoil Executive Vice President for New Energy Solutions, Irene Rummelhoff, the company’s objective towards the Hywind pilot park, is to demonstrate the feasibility of future commercial and utility-scale floating wind farms to increase the global market potential for offshore wind energy and contribute to the profitable growth of the renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions. She further said that, as Statoil, they are proud to develop the world’s first floating wind farm.
